Olympic Dreams
15 August



I honestly thought that I was made of sterner stuff and would not allow myself to get drawn into the whole fandango but the Olympics has worked its magic on me. Maybe I just needed something to lift me given all the angst elsewhere.

The opening ceremony (usually a hotch potch of the trite or the pretentious) turned out to have something for everyone - me included.

I loved it when Mr Bean appeared. Who'd have thought that they'd get the queen, the actual queen, not a look-alike, to make an appearance alongside James Bond.

Mr BeanThe Queen and James Bond

I thought that the forging of the Olympic rings was truly spectacular.

Forging the Olympic ringsForging the Olympic rings

I loved the idea of having Steve Redgrave hand over the Olympic torch to a posse of the next generation for its final lap of the stadium before lighting the Olympic torch.

Olypmpic torch relayOlypmpic torch relay

Olympic flag bearers I loved the group of the great and the good which they had assembled to carry the Olympic flag into the stadium - for me the stand-out participants were Daniel Barenboim, Sally Becker, Shami Chakrabati and Doreen Lawrence. And the moment when Olympian Muhammad Ali made his appearance, a noble wreck of humanity laid low by Parkinson's syndrome, brought tears to the eyes.

Tim Berners-Lee And the moment when Tim Berners-Lee, begetter of the World-Wide Web, made his appearance had me shouting for joy.

Truly, this was something for everyone.

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So what of the sports. Well this is an incredibly personal selection but let's hear it for...

Bradley Wiggins Bradley Wiggins - Yea!!
(Apparently, the French find it really difficult to say "Bradley Wiggins" LOLs)

*We're not worthy!!*

Gymnastics The lads of the gymnastics team including Louis Smith - Yea!!

*We're not worthy!!*

Alistair Brownlee Triathlete Alistair Brownlee - Yea!!

*We're not worthy!!*

Andy Murray Andy Murray at Wimbledon - Yea!!

*We're not worthy!!*

Mo Farah and Usain Bolt Mo Farah and Usain Bolt - Yea!!

*We're not worthy!!*

title And whoever designed the Olympic torch made up of ceramic bowls each brought in by members of the competing teams deserves a medal all of their own - another moment of sheer and simple beauty.

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Fabulous. The whole thing was fabulous.

title And Mary and Linda went. I'm sort of quite envious.

There's also been some tasteful photography in aid of charity.

Brownlee Brothers go buck naked Go Brownlee Brothers - Yea!!

*Huzzah!!*

Go Louis Smith as well - Yea!!

*Huzzah!!*

Louis Smith goes buck naked

Louis Smith goes buck naked

And there was some classic Olympic sports commentary when the New Zealand defender made an error during one of the women's football matches - "Well, she's not quite cleared her box there."